Rail-joint.



W. J. SHELDON.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1'1, 1911. I 1,005,579, Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

,9 F s. l I

WITNESSES INVENTOR.

COLIIIBIA Puma-An! CO. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM JOHN SHELDON, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO HARRY R. GREENLEE, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, WILLIAM JOHN SHEL- DON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a rail joint, and the objects of my invention are to provide positive'and reliable means, in a manner as will be hereinafter set forth, for retaining the confronting ends of two rails together whereby lateral and vertical displacement is practically impossible under ordinary conditions, to obviate the necessity of using the present type of bolts and nuts for connecting splice bars to the sides of rails.

Other objects of the invention are to provide reinforced tie plates for supporting the confronting ends of rails between two ties, and to provide a rail joint that can be easily and quickly installed without the use of skilled labor.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a rail joint that will allow for the expansion and contraction of rails, and to accomplish the above results by a-mechanical construction that is simple, durable and highly efficient for the purposes for which it is intended.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that the structural elements thereof are susceptible of such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rail joint, with one of the looking devices thereof removed, Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, Fig. 3 is a plan of the tie plate, Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the rail joint, Fig. 5 is an enlarged front elevation of a detached locking device, Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same, Fig. 7 is an enlarged front elevation of a detached pin, and Fig. 8 is a plan of the same.

A rail joint in accordance with this invention comprises a tie plate 1 adapted to be supported by ties or sleepers 2. The tie plate 1 has the longitudinal edges thereof provided with vertical ribs 3 extending from one end thereof to the opposite end, these ribs having the upper outer edges thereof beveled, as at a and the inner edges thereof inclined, as at 5. The tie plate 1 intermediate the ends thereof is provided with an oval or elliptical longitudinal depressed portion 6 adapted to reinforce and add rigidity to the tie plate, particularly between the ties or sleepers 2. The tie plate is adapted to form a seat for the base flanges 7 of rails 8, said rails having the ends thereof abutting at a point intermediate the ends of the tie plate.

Bracing the sides of the rails 8 at the con fronting ends thereof are splice bars 9 and 10 having the lateral flanges 11 thereof provided with depending portions 12 adapted to engage between the ribs 3 and the edges of the base flanges 7, said depending portions preventing the rails from laterally shifting upon the tie plate 1. The splice bars 9 and 10 brace the heads of the rails 8 and the webs of said rails are provided with transverse equally spaced openings 13. Alining with the openings 13 of the rails 8 are oblong openings 14 in the splice bars 9 and 10, these openings being in communication with longitudinal slots 15 having the upper and lower walls thereof cut away to provide dove-tailed grooves 16, for a purpose that will presently appear.

The reference numeral 17 denotes a pin having diametrically opposed walls thereof cut away to provide webs 18. The pin has a head 19 at one end thereof and the inner face of the head is beveled, as at 20 and provided with a lip 21. The formation of the web 18 at the opposite end of the pin provides a head 22 and the inner face of the head is beveled, as at 23.

24 denotes U-shaped locking members having resilient arched or curved arms 25. The outer ends of the arms are cut away, as at 26 and provided with curved projections 27, said projections extending from the sides of the arms 25. These projections are adapted to engage in the oblong openings 14 of the splice bars and convert said oblong openings into cylindrical openings. Each member has dove tailed tongues 28 and these tongues are adapted to engage in the dove-tailed grooves 16 of the splice bars. The splice bars, ad'acent to the ends thereof, have the lateral ffanges 11 provided with spike notches 29 registering with oblong openings or slots 30 in the tie plate 1. The notches 29 and the'slots 30 receive spikes 31 employed for securing the tie plate 1 to the ties 2 and the lateral flanges 11 upon the base flanges 7 of the rails 8.

After the splice bars have been assembled to brace the sides of the rails 8, the locking members 2 1 are placed in position. These members are held by the tongues 28 engaging in the grooves 16 and by the projections 27 engaging in the oblong openings 14, which are converted into cylindrical openings. With the members in position, the curved or arched resilient arms 25 thereof extend outwardly. The pins 17 are now placed in position and to insure a correct positioning of said pins, each pin has the lip 21. The lip 21 prevents the pin from being inserted in the openings 13 and 14 other than in the correct way, which correctly positions the beveled inner faces 20 and 23 relatively to the arms 25 of the locking members. In order to insert the pins in the openings it is necessary that the lips 21 thereof extend into the slots 15. When the pins, are positioned in engagement with the locking members 24, the splice bars 9 and 10 are then shifted or driven in opposite directions. Since the pins 17 are held stationary by the rails 8 and the members at held by the splice bars, the members 2 1 will be shifted causing the arms 25 to ride into engagement with the beveled inner faces 20 and 23 of the pins. When the splice bars 9 and 10 have been shifted as far as possible, the spikes 31 are then driven through the notches 29 into the ties 2 to hold the splice bars in their adjusted position. It is therefore apparent that the oblong openings 30 are essential in order that the spikes can be driven into the ties.

lVhen the splice bars 9 and 10 are shifted and the resilient arms 25 ride against the heads 19 and 22 of the pins, the splice bars are forced into snug engagement with the sides of the rails and the pins positively locked in position, the resiliency of the arms 25 being suiiicient to frictionally engage the beveled inner faces of the heads 19 and 22 and firmly hold the pins.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the splice bars 9 and 10 can be rolled in the usual manner and then punched or sheared to provide the openings, slots and notches. The tie plate can be rolled and then stamped or punched to provide the slots 30 and the depressed portions 6.

Vertical displacement of the rails and splice bars relatively to; the tie plate is prevented by the depending portions 12 of the splice bars, these portions having a wedge actlon when the splice bars are drlven in the opposite directions, which tends to bind the portions 12 between the rails and the ribs 3 of the tie plate.

hat I claim is 1. In a rail joint, the combination with the confronting ends of rails having the web portions thereof provided with openings, of a tie plate adapted to rest upon two ties and support the ends of said rails, longitudinal ribs carried by the edges of said tie plate, splice bars adapted to brace the sides of said rails and provided with depending portions adapted to wedge between said ribs and the base flanges of said rails, said splice bars having openings formed therein with communicating slots and the upper and lower walls of said slots provided with dove-tailed grooves, locking members mounted against the outer sides of said splice bars, said members having tongues engaging in the grooves of said splice bars and projections adapted to ex tend into the openings of said splice bars, pins arranged in the openings of said rails and the openings of said splice bars, said pins having web portions adapted to enter the slots of said splice bars, and heads: adapted to be engaged by said locking members.

2. In a rail joint, the combination With rails having the webs thereof provided with openings, of a tie plate adapted to be supported by two ties and support said rails, a depressed longitudinal reinforcing portion carried by said plate between the ties, splice bars bracing the sides of said rails and having depending portions adapted to be wedged between said tie plate and the base flanges of said rails, locking members detachably connected to the outer sides of said splice bars and provided with resilient arms, pins arranged transversely of said rails and said splice bars, and heads carried by said pins and adapted to be engaged by the resilient arms of said locking members.

3. In a rail joint, the combination with rails having the web portions thereof provided with openings, of a tie plate adapted to support said rails upon ties, longitudinal ribs carried by the edges of said tie plate, splice bars bracing the sides of said rails and having depending portions adapted to engage between said ribs and the base flanges of said rails, locking members detachably connected to the outer sides of said splice bars and provided with resilient arms, pins arranged transversely of said rails and said splice bars, heads carried by said pins and adapted to have the inner faces thereof engaged by the arms of said members when said splice bars are shifted, and means adapted to secure said splice bars and said tie plate to ties after said splice bars have been shifted.

4. In a rail joint, the combination with rails, of a tie plate adapted to support said rails, splice bars bracing said rails upon said tie plate, locking members detachably connected to the outer sides of said splice bars and provided with resilient arms, pins arranged transversely of said splice bars and said rails, heads carried by said pins and adapted to be engaged by the arms of said members when said splice bars are shifted, a lip carried by a head of each pin and adapted to facilitate the correct positioning of said pins, and means including spikes adapted to lock said splice bars in a shifted position relatively to said tie plate.

5. In a rail joint, a rail supporting tieplate provided with longitudinal side flanges having the inner faces thereof inclined downwardly and outwardly, said tie-plate provided adjacent the flanges with oblong spike openings, rails mounted on said tie plate and provided with openings, splice bars provided with oblong openings and communicating oblong slots having grooves in the walls thereof at one end, bolts engaging in the openings in the rails with web portions engaging in the oblong slots in the splice bars, said bolts having heads on each end, and locking keys provided at the ends with lugs to engage in said grooves and oblong openings respectively and having resilient arms engaging the inner faces of the bolt heads.

6. In a rail joint, a rail supporting tie plate, rails mounted thereon and provided with openings in the webs thereof, upwardly-extending side flanges carried by said tie plate, splice bars engaging the rails and having base flanges engaging the side flanges of the tie plate, said splice bars provided with oblong openings and communieating slots having grooves in the walls thereof at one end, bolts engaging in the openings in the rails and splice bars and having heads provided with inclined inner faces, and locking keys comprising parallel arms provided at their ends with lugs to engage in the oblong openings and grooves respectively in said splice bars, said arms engaging the inclined faces of said bolt heads.

7. In a rail joint, a rail supporting tie plate, rails mounted thereon and provided with openings, splice bars mounted on the tie plate and engaging said rails, said splice bars provided with oblong openings and with slots communicating with the openings and further having grooves in the walls of said slots, bolts mounted in the openings in the rails and in the slots in the splice bars, said bolts having heads lying outside the splice bars, and locking keys engaging between the heads of the bolts and the splice bars, said keys having inwardly-projecting lugs engaging in the grooves and oblong openings respectively in the splice bars.

8. In a rail joint, the combination with a pair of rails having openings in the webs thereof, of splice bars engaging the rails, said splice bars provided with oblong open ings and with slots communicating with said openings, and further provided in the walls of said slots with grooves, bolts mounted in the rail openings and slots of the splice bars and having heads lying outside said splice bars, and locking keys com prising parallel connected arms spanning the bolt and engaging the inner faces of the bolt heads, said arms carrying lugs engaging in the oblong openings and grooves respectively in the splice bars.

9. In a rail joint, the combination with a pair of rails having openings in the webs thereof, of splice bars engaging the rails, bolts mounted in the openings of the rails and having heads on each end and flattened portions adjacent the heads, said splice bars having openings through which the bolts are inserted into position in the rails and further having slots which receive the flattened portions of the bolts when the splice bars are shifted longitudinally of the rails, the said bolt heads having inclined inner faces, and locking keys comprising parallel connected arms which span the flattened portions of the bolt and engage the inclined faces of the bolt heads between said heads and the splice bars.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM JOHN SHELDON.

Witnesses:

F. R. HAHN, HERMANN O. HoLTzwARTH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

